Motion-picture machine.



0. SCHWIMIVIEH. y MOTION PICTURE MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. 4. 1912.

Patented Oct. 12, 1915.

zsHEETs-SHvEET.

0. SCHWl-MMER.

MOTION PICTURE MACHINE.

APPLICATION flLED Nov.\4. |912.

Patented Oct. 12, 1915.

l2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

1/1/17( JJM r UNITED STATES rATENT OFFICE.

/OSCAR SCHWIMMER, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

MOTION-PICTURE MACHINE,

To all whom it lmay Concern:

Be it knownrthat I, OSCAR SCHWIMMER, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles vand Statey of California, have invented a. cerplished in the absence of all hammering; the j friction incident to the movement of the operating parts reduced to a minimum; the vibrations eliminated; the adjustment of the variously distanced perforations ofthe commercial films readily effected, and in which the periods of movement and rest are respectively the shortest and longest.

With these and other objects in view,'this invention consists of the features, details of construction and combination of parts described in connection with the accompanying drawings and then more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In'the drawings, Figure l, is afrear elevation, and Fig. 2, is a sectional'elevation on lines Fig. 1. I

Referring to the drawings, 1, designates a casing, on a wall 2, of which is secured gibs 3, between which is slidably mounted a plate 1, carrying a bar 5,' pivotally supported thereon by adjustable pins 6. Said bar 5, is provided with a plurality of adjustable tines 7, arranged to project through enlarged lopenings 8, in 'said plate 4, and engage at certain intervals the perforations 9, in a ilm l0. The bar 5, and its tines, commonly known as a rake, 1s reciprocable with said plate l, by an adjustable rod 11, connecting the bottom of said plate 4, with a crank 12, on a fiy wheel 13.

The adjustable connection-between the fiy" Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented oet.- 12, 1915.l

Application led November 4, 1912. Seria1 No. 729,491.

that is to say, the spacing falls varying be tween the perforations-in-the films. A machine, therefore, which does not space in precise accordance with the spacing made by another machine, cannot be used to continue or complete a previously made film, or if used, will cause an undesirable overlapping of the'films in the field of the pictures when spliced together,l and such overlapping of one 4picture on another produces in projection or printing, an undesirable dark line,-

wherever such splices occur.l .As a result a machine as now made cannot be used to complete a picture made by another machine without producing the result referred to. In agreat-many instances masks are. used to establish uniformity in the spacing. They are, however, not readily changeable, and, on account of a necessary number of them each of which must correspond to a possible variation of the space between the perforations, are unsatisfactory and unreliable. The adj ustability of the connect-ing rod is therefore of great importance, andienables any machine thus provided, to finish an unfinished ilm made by another machine, irrespective of the degree of the space variation. It is obvious that the adjustment must be made while thetines of the rake are in engagement with the perforations in the film, and that such adjustment doesl not affect the stroke ofthe rake. A spring l-l, interposed between said plate i. and ,said bar 5, serves to move said'bar and disengage the tines '7, thereof, from 'the perforations inthe fihn` at the end of a predetermined movement. Said rake or bar 5, is provided with a projecting surface 15, against which avcam 16, mounted on a shaft 17, is arranged to .operate to force and hold the tines 7 ,of the rake in engagement with the perforations in the film during the movement thereof in one direction, and support said rake during the movement thereof in another direction, that is, during the reciprocation of the s'ame when the film is at rest. Asseen, the cam 1G, is mounted independentlyv of the rake, but is given movement. simultaneous with the rake reciprocation in both directions. Such inde pendent mounting of the cam `does away with the undesirable effects of a compulsory movement resulting from interdependent posit-ive connection with therake, comprising principally excessive vibration, undue 19, and on the shaft 20, of said fly Wheel 13, is a pinion 21, meshing with a gear 22, which in turn meshes With saidgear 19, to cause a synchronous movement of said cam 16, with said rake 5, when the driving gear 23, in mesh with the said gear 22, is rotated oby a crank 24,'app1ied to the shaft 25, on 'which said driving gear is mounted.

-As seen in Fig. 2, 'when the driving gear 23, is rotated, the engagement of the cam 16, with the surface 15, of the rake occurs simultaneously with the movement of the rake,- and such engagement continues until the film has been moved a determined distance, by the tines of the rake, which are held extended through the perforations in the film by the cam. When the cam is moved away from the surface 15, of the rake, the spring 14, immediately causes a retractile movement of the rake and its tines, leaving the film-in a state of rest, While the continued rotation of the fly wheel, returns the plate and rake to its original position, preparatory to again advancing the film.

The engagement of the tines 7 with the film perforations occurs concurrently with vthe passing of the crank or connecting rod 11, over dead center, or practically when there is no motion. That amount of motion which is lost during the passage of the connecting rod over dead center is expressly utilized for respectively making the engagement of the tines with the perforations, and disengaging the tines from the perforations, to the end that the movement of the rake `will always be a-square one instead of circular. Since there is no lost motion in the `constantly revolving cam 16, it, continuing of the tines from the film perforations M Lieaeaa effected by the spring during the period of rest of the connecting rod, that is when passing the lower dead center. rllhe prime object of this provision is to eliminate all circular movement of the film engaging rake and thus to insure positive engagement with and preservation of the film.

' What l claim, is

1. In a motion picture machine, a perforated film, a rake to engage the perforations in said film, a slide on which said rake is pivotally support-ed, a fly wheel, an adjustable connection between said fiy wheel and slide to transmit reciprocatory movement to said rake, a shaft, a cam on said shaft and in operative relation to said rake, means to rotate said caln synchronously with the reciprocation of saidrake to cause said rake to engagethe perforations in and advance said film in one direction, and a spring to cause a disengagement of said rake from the perforations in said film at the end of a move- 4ment thereof in one direction.

2. 1n a motion picture machine, a film, and

a means to intermittently move said film comprising a film engaging member, a slide on which said member is mounted, a disk, an adjustable crank connection between said slide and disk, means to impart movement to said disk to reciprocate said slide, a cam independently mounted and in operative relation to said member to cause said member to engage said film during the reciprocation thereof in one direction, means to rotate said cam synchronously with the reciprocation of said slide, and a spring on said slide to disengage said-member, from said film at the end of aV movement thereof in one direction.

1n testimony whereof I affix my signature, e

Witnesses:

Ro'r. ROBERTSON, W. WALKER. 

